SciBX: Science-Business eXchange Contents: June 13 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 23

TABLE OF CONTENTS June 13 2013, Volume 6 / Issue 23 Analysis Cover Story Translational Notes Targets and Mechanisms The Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Cancer Endocrine/metabolic disease Infectious disease Neurology Transplantation The Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Computational models Drug platforms Advertisement Biopharma Dealmakers A supplement to Nature Biotechnology and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery  The April 2013 issue of Biopharma Dealmakers showcases companies with partnering opportunities. This week, find out about how you can collaborate with Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation. Advertisement SciBX: Science Business eXchange Innovation in Drug Discovery Challenge: Harnessing Endocytosis for Drug Discovery SciBX, in partnership with Innocentive, is requesting ideas from the scientific community to progress the understanding of how large therapeutic molecules can effectively intercept and use the endocytosis process to achieve class-wide cell permeability.  Click here to find out more!   Advertisement Nature Publishing Group and Relay Technology Management present: The Epigenetics Target Explorer  Click here to access this free online tool and the accompanying article in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.      Analysis Cover Story Top Personalizing cystic fibrosis in vitro Chris Cain doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.564 A team at University Medical Center Utrecht has developed a rapid and quantitative in vitro intestinal cell–based assay for function of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator that could help identify prospective responders to targeted cystic fibrosis therapies. The researchers are now planning to test how well the approach can predict drug responses in the clinic. Full Text | PDF Translational Notes Top Uprooting CEEDD C. Simone Fishburn doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.565 Although GlaxoSmithKline has quietly shuttered its Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery, the pharma maintains it is not deprioritizing early program partnerships. Rather, GSK has shifted the establishment of early partnerships to its R&D scientists. Full Text | PDF Targets and Mechanisms Top PNAG: broadening infection protection Michael J. Haas doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.566 A multi-institutional team has added more than 20 pathogens to the list of known bacteria that express the capsule polysaccharide poly-N-acetylglucosamine. The findings open up new indications for Alopexx Vaccine and Alopexx Pharmaceuticals, which are developing a vaccine and an antibody for passive immunization, respectively. Full Text | PDF Shrinking old hearts Lev Osherovich doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.567 Boston researchers have discovered a blood-borne protein called growth differentiation factor 11 that can reverse age-related cardiac hypertrophy in mice. The protein could be used as a therapeutic agent once its long-term effects are understood. Full Text | PDF Distillery: Therapeutics Autoimmune disease Top CD4; CD52; sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin 10 (SIGLEC10) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.568 Studies in mice and patient samples suggest T cells with high CD52 levels could help prevent autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. Full Text | PDF Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.569 In vitro studies suggest aspirin could help treat demyelinating disorders such as MS. Full Text | PDF Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1; TGFB1); TGFβ receptor II (TGFβ-R2; TGFBR2) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.570 Patient sample and rodent studies suggest inhibiting TGFβ1 signaling in bone could help treat OA. Full Text | PDF Cancer Top Interleukin-6 (IL-6); interleukin-8 (IL-8; CXCL8) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.571 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest dual blockade of IL-6 and IL-8 could be useful for treating triple-negative breast cancer. Full Text | PDF Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6); histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.572 In vitro studies suggest dual inhibition of HDAC6 and HDAC8 could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (NR5A2; LRH-1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.573 Mouse and in vitro studies identified an LRH-1 antagonist that could be useful for treating cancer. Full Text | PDF Phosphodiesterase δ subunit (PDEδ); Ras doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.574 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting an interaction between Ras and the PDEδ subunit could help treat cancer. Full Text | PDF p53 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.575 Mouse and cell culture studies suggest gain-of-function mutations in p53 can raise colorectal cancer risk by increasing susceptibility to chronic inflammation. Full Text | PDF Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.576 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting PDK1 could help treat melanoma. Full Text | PDF Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P); S1P receptor 1 (S1PR1; S1P1; EDG1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.577 Cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting S1P-S1PR1 signaling could help treat rhabdomyosarcoma. Full Text | PDF Endocrine/metabolic disease Top Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K); phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN; MMAC1; TEP1); protein kinase B (PKB; PKBA; AKT; AKT1) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.578 Mouse studies suggest AS101 could help prevent cyclophosphamide-induced depletion of ovarian follicles, which leads to infertility. Full Text | PDF Infectious disease Top Poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.579 In vitro and mouse studies suggest an anti-PNAG antibody could help prevent infections from a range of pathogens. Full Text | PDF Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2); CD14 doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.580 Patient sample and mouse studies identified CD14-targeting peptides that could help treat bacterial infections. Full Text | PDF Neurology Top Adenylate cyclase 1 (ADCY1; AC1); NMDA receptor NR2B subtype (GRIN2B; NR2B) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.581 Mouse studies suggest inhibiting GRIN2B in the insular cortex of the brain could help treat neuropathic pain. Full Text | PDF α-Synuclein (SNCA) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.582 In vitro fruit fly and mouse studies suggest mannitol, a known disrupter of the blood brain barrier (BBB), could help treat PD. Full Text | PDF Transplantation Top Thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor (CD110; Mpl) doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.583 Mouse studies suggest TPO mimetics or CD110 agonists could help enhance engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) following bone marrow transplant (BMT). Full Text | PDF Distillery: Techniques Assays and screens Top Screening platform for detecting RAF dimerization in cells doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.584 A high throughput screening platform for RAF dimerization could help identify bona fide inhibitors of RAF signaling. Full Text | PDF Computational models Top Database of human phosphatase-substrate interactions doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.585 A compilation of protein phosphatase–substrate interaction data could help identify new phosphatase-class drug targets. Full Text | PDF Drug platforms Top Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived thymic epithelial cells capable of supporting T cell production doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.586 A protocol to generate thymic epithelial cells from hESCs could help restore thymus function and induce immune tolerance. Full Text | PDF Phage display system for rapid mammalian expression of library hits doi:10.1038/scibx.2013.587 A phage display system designed to facilitate expression in mammalian cells could be used to rapidly screen libraries against therapeutic targets. Full Text | PDF Top

You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at: www.nature.com/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant) For further technical assistance, please contact our registration department For print subscription enquiries, please contact our subscription department For other enquiries, please contact our customer feedback department Nature Publishing Group | 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | USA Nature Publishing Group's worldwide offices: London - Paris - Munich - New Delhi - Tokyo - Melbourne San Diego - San Francisco - Washington - New York - Boston Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © 2013 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.